THE PO-BOY

Hero. Sub. Hoagie. Grinder. These words are foreign to the
vocabulary of the native New Orleanian. That's because here in New
Orleans, we eat po-boys. Oh, we eat hamburgers, muffelettas, and
sandwiches on sliced bread also, but the po-boy is a staple at lunch
counters across the metro area.

The Bread

What makes a po-boy special is the bread. A po-boy isn't a po-boy
unless it's made with good quality, fresh French bread. New Orleans
French bread has a crunchy crust with a very light center. The loaves
are about 3' in length, and are about 6" in circumference. Time was
that many a corner bakery made their own French bread, but there are
only three bakerys left in town that make true French bread: Gendusa's,
Leidenheimer's, and Binder's. [Note: The "wonderfully stubborn
Reising family" were bought out by Leidenheimer's.] Many of the larger
grocery stores make bread that they call "French bread," but it's not
made in the old brick ovens that the real bakeries use, so it doesn't
come out with the same contrast between crust and center.

The Fillings

Roast beef and shrimp are the most popular fillings for a po-boy, but
just about anything can be put inside a loaf of French bread and taste
good. Freshness and quality are the two most important aspects of what
goes inside a po-boy. Many places do an excellent hamburger or
cheeseburger po-boy because they can cook the patties to order.

Same goes for seafood fillings like oysters and shrimp. Roast beef and ham
are a different story. The average lunch counter doesn't roast their
own meat anymore, so the places that do really stand out. A good gravy
can go a long way to compensate for not roasting your own meat, which is
why some otherwise average places do good barbecue beef and ham po-boys.

There's really no limit to what can be made into a po-boy. Streetcar
Sandwiches does a great smothered duck po-boy, for example. Fried
catfish is growing in popularity. The low-fat movement has prompted
several places to add grilled chicken breasts to their po-boy menus, but
the combination of ingredients that make a great po-boy don't lend
themselves to restricted diets, so this addition to the menus hasn't
been that earth-shaking.

The name "po-boy" is, of course, a shortened version of "poor boy." The
name stems from the fact that a po-boy used to be a very inexpensive way
to get a very solid meal. The least expensive po-boys on the menu will
almost always be those with the cheapest fillings. Luncheon meat,
sausage, and French fries. French fries? You betcha! A French fry po-
boy with roast beef gravy is a wonderful treat. Watching guys in suits
eating French fry po-boys down in the CBD may seem like a "what is wrong
with this picture" scene, but you won't understand until you try one.
Same for a luncheon meat po-boy with roast beef gravy. Italian and hot
sausage po-boys are cheaper than roast beef or shrimp, but they're still
good if the sausage is good.

This is one of those questions than can hang up a tourist like a deer
caught in the headlights. You think you've figured out whatever little
place in which you're standing in line. You get to the front of the line,
and you order your po-boy. The lady behind the counter asks a one word
question: "Dressed?" You look at her like she's crazy. Of course
you're dressed! No, silly, what about your sandwich? What do you want
on it? Do you want it dressed with lettuce,
tomato, pickles, mayo, or do you just want nuttin' on it?

Eating a po-boy either way is proper. Some people just want
roast beef, gravy, and maybe a little Creole mustard. Some want theirs
dressed all the way, so that the mayo and gravy mix together and fall
out of the bread in a sloppy mess. Seafood po-boys are ordered with
just butter, maybe butter and ketchup, or with the full treatment. The
amount of mayo usually is the key factor in just how messy your sandwich
will be. Remember, a po-boy place isn't McDonald's (and thank God for
that) -- you'll get yours made the way you want it if you speak up.

Where to go?

OK, all of this sounds good, so now you need to know where to go. It's
been said that there's no bad food in New Orleans, just great and
mediocre food. I cordially disagree with this one, because of some of
the places in the CBD that pass for lunch counters are pretty poor. Not
to mention the fact that those abominations called Subway have popped up
all over the metro area. For a good po-boy, here are some suggestions:

Mother's, Poydras and Tchopitoulas.

Arguably the best po-boy in town. Skip the roast beef and order the
ham with roast beef gravy. If you're really hungry, order the Ferdi,
which is roast beef, ham, and debris (roast beef gravy with the pieces of
meat that fall in as the roast cooks). No lettuce here; Mother's dresses
their po-boys with cabbage. The plate lunches (gumbo, jamablaya, etc.)
are also excellent, and the turtle soup is about the best in town, but
locals come here for the po-boys. [Note: Mother's has the best baked ham
in the known universe. -- Chuck]

Uglesich's, 1238 Baronne St, across from Brown's Velvet Dairy.

The best oyster po-boy in town, beyond a shadow of a doubt. This is
a terrible neighborhood, but worth the adventure for lunch. Closes at
4pm.

Liuzza's, 3636 Bienville, Mid-City.

Best Italian po-boys, and the "Frenchuletta," a muffeletta made on
French bread instead of the round Italian bread. Liuzza's makes a great
tomato sauce, which is why their sandiwches and pasta dishes are winners.

Domilise's, 5340 Annunciation corner Bellcastle, Uptown.

In my humble opinion, the hot sausage po-boy with gravy and Creole
mustard at Domilise's is an Intensely Religious Experience. Have a
Barq's and some Zapp's Crawtators with it. -- Chuck

Parasol's, 2533 Constance, Irish Channel.

And deep in the heart of the Irish Channel it is, near the Garden
District. Parasol's is another quintessential neighborhood joint, famous
for it's po-boys as well as the "local color" of its denizens. A
madhouse on St. Patrick's Day.

After these, locals from all neighborhoods will normally chime in
and advocate their favorites from where they grew up. Many are good,
some are just average, but anyone who uses good bread can't be all that
bad. I can tell you all about the good places in Metairie and Gentilly.
My friend Steve can tell you all about Chalmette and Arabi. Others will
put forward places Uptown or in the Quarter. The trick is to follow the
locals. If you see everyone ordering meatball and sausage po-boys,
you'll know that that place's red gravy is good. If everyone is
ordering seafood, you'll get the picture quickly. Step back from the
counter for a few customers and see what they're doing. If nobody
orders the roast beef, skip it. That usually means it's
undistinguished. Go with something that is grilled to order, like a
hamburger or hot sausage po-boy. Enjoy!